The Biden Administration’s Proposed IDR Rules On October 27, 2023, the Biden Administration released a proposed rule on the No Surprises Act’s (“NSA”) Federal independent dispute resolution (“IDR”) process. The IDR process has been mired in litigation since the enactment of the NSA, which is enforced by the Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor, […]
Rising healthcare costs are one of the biggest challenges facing small businesses today. Providing adequate employee healthcare coverage is a crucial component of any operation, but has become more burdensome for smaller businesses because they have limited resources. While per-employer costs are expected to rise by 6.5% in 2023—after reaching $13,020 per employee in 2022—there […]
Let’s face it, healthcare costs are out of control for everyone. This is especially true for employers who provide important healthcare benefits to their employees. According to AON, the average cost of employer-sponsored healthcare in the US is expected to rise by more than 6.5% in 2023. That means per-employee costs are expected to reach […]
If you’re an employer who’s trying to contend with excessive healthcare costs, you are not alone! While per-employee medical costs increased by 3.2% in 2022, according to Mercer’s annual survey, health plans are expected to see another sharp increase and rise another 5.6% in 2023. Needless to say, healthcare has become unconscionably expensive. The increasing […]
Most employers are bracing themselves for another round of rising healthcare costs, according to a recent survey by Willis Towers Watson consultants. Responses indicate that over the next three years, 7 out of 10 employers plan to prioritize curbing their rising healthcare costs. The fact that rising healthcare costs may require some companies to cut […]
While many employers provide healthcare coverage as a primary employee benefit, few realize they have the capability to negotiate lower costs for expensive procedures like major surgeries. This is one of the main disadvantages of traditional healthcare models: those responsible for medical costs usually have little say in how much they pay. In response, some […]
Many businesses are switching to self-funded healthcare plans—also called self-insured health plans—in response to the ongoing escalation of healthcare costs. In comparison to fully insured plans that go through private insurance providers, with self-funded plans, companies use their own funds to pay for employee healthcare. Why would businesses make this choice? Because eliminating the middleman […]
Among small to mid-sized enterprises, self-funded healthcare models are becoming increasingly appealing—especially as healthcare costs continue to rise, escalating premiums and deductibles as well. This continual creep in costs has made healthcare exceedingly expensive for employers, forcing many to consider cutting back on the healthcare they provide employees. Self-funded healthcare plans offer employers a viable […]